Those in need of services will be able to find them in a singular location
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — During the most recent meeting of Bradford’s Health Equity Task Force, Iana Patterson promoted the idea of creating hubs for community services around the county.
Patterson works for the Bradford County Health Department as a human services program specialist as well as the minority health and health equity liaison.
The Health Department is collaborating with many other community service providers on distributing those services in a more efficient and equitable way.
Patterson said the Bradford County Health Equity Plan was drafted to guide efforts to create and improve systems that address social determinants of health in order to reduce disparities. Everyone should have the opportunity for optimum health, and that is the mission of the resulting Health Equity Task Force.
Mental health is one disparity that has been prioritized. Another common problem is transportation. That led to the idea of creating resource hubs for community services around the county. The first was planned for the RJE Complex in Starke, but they are now looking at the Bradford County Faith Community Center on Old Lawtey Road. It could be open as soon as Dec. 1 based on the current timeline.
The goal is five hubs in total, including Lawtey and Hampton. The hubs will bring needed services closer to the county’s most vulnerable populations.
For now, the task force will continue collecting needs surveys through the first of November and then identify the first services to be offered. The most often requested so far include food and nutrition, mental health care, legal assistance, educational/vocational assistance, employment assistance and primary health care.
Some of the service providers working with the health department include Meridian Behavioral Health, UF/IFAS Extension Office, Civcom, Santa Fe Community College TRIO, the Hanley Foundation, Elder Options, Bradford County Coalition, CareerSource, Tobacco-Free Florida, the Center for Independent Living, the City of Starke, Episcopal Children Services and Concerned Citizens of Bradford County.
Staffing and scheduling are among the issues the task force members are working on for the resource hub. Patterson demonstrated the successful implementation of such a system using Alachua County’s example, noting there are models internationally as well. The SWAG Family Resource Hub in Gainesville opened in 2012 to improve residents lives by providing tools for self-improvement such as health and educational opportunities. There are rooms dedicated to children and teens, a food pantry and clothes closet, and help searching for and applying for work.
A grant-funded manager would run the Bradford resource hub with staffing provided by local service providers and volunteers. Recognizing community readiness is also an important factor, so Patterson said the approach will be slow and steady.
“I just believe this can work, and I am just so excited of what it can what it can mean to our community,” she said.
Health Department Director Aime Oody said they know from experience that programs delivered on site are more effective, including the dental program they run in the schools and the mental health services provided at the jail.
County Commissioner Carolyn Spooner said she hears about the need for these services as she works in the community, but people don’t know where to turn. The community resource hub would provide that place, she said.
While Patterson is facilitating the project, the Health Equity Task Force will be the engine that runs the hub. The efforts of its members to contribute time and resources will determine its sustainability.
The task force’s next meeting is at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 24, at the Bradford County Faith Community Center, 721 Old Lawtey Road in Starke.
